Aren't You Somethin' To Admire?
by Vanille Strawberry
Summary: Hiccup and Astrid's domestic life and new addition spark mixed emotions and opinions in the village of Berk. New Days Dawning universe. Drabbles.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing. No seriously, ask my bank.**

A/N: It's been a while guys. Good to be back.

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-Aren't You Somethin' To Admire-

Astrid as a new mother is almost as terrifying as Astrid with an axe. The transformation freaks him out. He's known this girl since he was as high as his father's kneecaps. He's wrestled with her in the mud, in the snow, and in grassy patches by his parent's house. He's fought dragons beside her. He's _ridden_ dragon's beside her. And now ... now, he's watching her wearily from his boat as she inspects his catch with her new baby tucked in a sling at her breast.

It kind of blows Snoutlout's mind.

"These are kind of small," she says to him. "Got anything bigger? I've got to feed a Night Fury and a Deadly Nadder, you know."

Snotlout shrugs his big heavy set shoulders. He's gotten bigger and stronger with the years. Mellowed somewhat too. The sea will do that to you after a while. Gives a man time to think. He'd make a fine husband, a good father. He blinks at Astrid, stricken.

"Well, give me a few cod's anyway. I can get more from Bucket."

He wraps the cod in a woollen bag for her and she invites him down for dinner tonight. He grins slightly at the offer and tries not to get lost in her eyes. She's still the same Astrid, he reasons. She's still fiery and passionate with long golden hair tied in a single braid down her back. She's still the same girl she once was at Dragon Training, awed by his talents and physique. He can win her back.

She leaves with her new bundle and her fish. He watches her walk towards Bucket's ship and stop at the stall to talk with some of the other women there.

At sundown he arrives at the Haddock's front door and knocks tentatively, wearing his best cloak, boots and helmet. Everything has been polished to a gleam and appraised by a less than enthused Monstrous Nightmare. He looks the part of a reliable husband, Snotlout can only hope he acts it too.

"Snotlout, hi!"

It's Astrid who's opened the door. She's a little dishevelled, her eyes bright and her smile more dazzling than he remembers. She's dressed simply in a tunic and some pants.

He shows her the boar at his feet to mask his blush. "I brought something along as a thank you."

"Oh, thank you! It's Hiccup's favourite." She smiles happily in his face and allows him in, unbeknown to the fact that she has driven an arrow straight to his heart.

Snotlout heaves the boar into his arms and crosses into the house, depositing the dead boar on the counter where Astrid has set up her kitchen utensils. He takes his helmet off and unfastens his cloak, draping it close to the hearth so that it will warm. All the while he keeps an eye on Astrid as she waltzes about the room, stirring the pot at the hearth and degutting fish.

"How are your parents?"

"My parents?" he echoes. "Oh! Oh, yeah. They're good. Can't wait to get rid of me."

"Wouldn't blame 'em," she teases over her shoulder. "Have you seen how big you are?"

He chuckles and sits at the table. "I work out."

"I can tell."

He perks at this, watching her intently as she takes the boiling pot off the fire and replaces it with three fish on a pan. He wants to know what's going through her mind.

"What have you been up to?" he hears himself say.

Astrid laughs, full and hearty, the way he's never heard her laugh before. It startles him a little. "Oh, same old. Having babies, cooking dinner, kicking ass at Dragon Training. The usual."

"I ... noticed," he croaks out.

She wipes her hands with a dishcloth and smiles at him warmly. "You wanna see her? It's time for her dinner anyway."

"Oh ... um, I'm not really good with kids," he stutters, "Maybe another time?"

"Awh, come on, Snotlout. She doesn't bite. I'll go and get her."

Astrid disappears up the stairs before he can protest any further and it's not before long that she's returned with a tiny little human being in the crook of her elbow. Snotlout glances from the baby to Astrid with wonder, aweing at the fact that she was able to make this tiny thing.

"She's ... small."

"Tiny," Astrid agrees. "But she poops like I don't know what." She snuggles the baby closer, nuzzling her tiny neck and kissing her chubby cheeks. Like he said before ... terrifying.

The front door opens and they both turn to see the new arrival shake his fur pelt off of his shoulders and groan about the big freeze approaching. Snotlout doesn't miss the way Astrid visibly brightens at Hiccup's arrival, nor the smile that hangs on her face like it was carved there by an artist. He clenches his fists under the table and gnashes his teeth.

"Hey there, Snotlout! Glad you could join us!"

"Wouldn't miss a free home cooked meal," he says tightly.

"I know right?" Hiccup clasps him briefly on the shoulder before turning to embrace his wife. He kisses her quickly before taking the infant from her arms, descending into mindless baby babble and kissing her rounded cheeks.

"Hi there, big girl. How're you today? What did you and mommy get up to?"

"Lots," Astrid supplies helpfully. "We met Snotlout at the pier and your father in the Dining Hall. Oh, Fishlegs wanted to talk to you about something that sounded important but honestly I couldn't understand a single word."

"I'll get to him tomorrow."

"Good plan, because the midget needs changing."

"We should probably stop calling our daughter a midget," Hiccup muses aloud.

"I pushed a human being out of me. I reserve the right to call her anything I please until such time as she tells me to shove it."

Snotlout watches this entire exchange in silent contemplation. Astrid with a baby and a husband and a life like this is as terrifying as Astrid with an axe pointed at his throat. He smiles when Hiccup leans over to kiss his wife on the cheek as she's ladling soup into three wooden bowls and Snotlout makes a decision. He gets up and ties the warmed cloak around his shoulders and tells Hiccup and Astrid he's forgotten about an engagement across the village.

Snotlout has gotten bigger and stronger with the years. Mellowed somewhat too. The sea will do that to you after a while. Gives a man time to think. He'd make a fine husband, a good father. Just not for this family. This family already has all of those things.


End file.
